Love Anchored

Chapter 1 - Taliah - First Day

I stared at myself in the dimly lit bathroom mirror. Today wasn't just any ordinary day; it marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life. It was my first day at my dream job, a culmination of years of hard work and dedication. But as I prepared to step out into the world, a lingering tension from last night's argument with my fiancé threatened to cloud my excitement. I went through my morning routine before getting dressed and heading downstairs.

I refused to let it overshadow this momentous occasion. With a deep breath, I picked up my handbag and lunch box off the dining room table, slipped on my shoes, squared my shoulders, and made my way out into the crisp morning air.

I was so nervous that my leg started bouncing when I took my seat on the bus. I couldn't even distract myself by scrolling through my phone. As the bus lurched forward, I tried to calm my nerves by focusing on the scenery passing by. The familiar streets of my neighborhood gradually gave way to the bustling cityscape, signaling that I was nearing my destination.

Stepping off the bus into the hustle of the Sydney city streets, I hurried along with all the other people making their way to the tall towers. I used the map app on my phone to navigate to the building and fumbled my way through the foyer until I found a lift that would take me to the fifth floor.

I saw a crowd of people all lined up for the same lift. I shuffled my way in and pressed the button. I disembarked in a dull grey hallway with one beam of natural light. I walked towards the reception desk to let them know I had arrived. I was greeted by a grey-haired lady well over retirement age, who popped her head up from behind her computer. She smiled before welcoming me.

"Hi, I'm Taliah. I'm here for my first day," I said. She typed away on her computer.

"Perfect, Taliah. Just take a seat. Someone will be with you in a moment." Before I could thank her or turn around, I heard a voice over my shoulder.

"Good morning, Taliah. It's a pleasure finally meeting you in person." I smiled at the receptionist as I trotted as fast as possible to catch up with her long strides. Walking past the kitchen and all the desks with the echo of busy hands clicking away on keyboards, she led me to a small boardroom.

"Take a seat in here. I'll just put my bag down and grab my laptop."

I sat in the small boardroom and waited patiently with a pen ready. "Good morning," a sweet, gentle voice floated into the room. A woman in a ruffled pale pink dress entered, looking like she belonged frolicking through sunflower fields, not in a dreary office.

"Hi, I'm Taliah, the new Events Coordinator."

She placed her things down and took her seat on the opposite side of the table. "Welcome, I'm Mia, your intern. I'm here Monday, Wednesday, and half-day on Thursday," she said. I've never been good with remembering names, but I knew we would get along just fine. As things fell back to silence, the same lady who met me at the reception desk came back in with two others in tow.

"Good morning, everyone. Happy Monday. I want to welcome Taliah to the team." I felt my cheeks heat up as everyone turned to look at me with a welcoming smile.

"Taliah, it's so great to have you here. I'm just going to go around the table and introduce you to everyone. I see you've already met Mia, your intern. She is an absolute go-getter and an amazing problem-solver. And here you have James. He will assist with staffing, venue hire, and catering. Brenda is our accounts payable and event contractor. She gets notifications from venues that would like a particular event, and we see if we can organize it. Oh, and me. I'm Charlotte, but everyone calls me Lottie. I oversee all the projects that are going on in this office. But enough of me talking. Over to you, Brenda."